The first of many mostly trivial preseason awards was released with two Notre Dame stars front and center on the All-American first team. (I state trivial because remember the Tim Tebow, not unanimous preseason All-SEC?)

Worthless or not, both Michael Floyd and Kyle Rudolph were named to Lindy’s All-American team. Here is the entire squad:

The Irish are the only team with two regulars on the first-team offense, a good reminder that even without Jimmy Clausen and Golden Tate this Irish offense has a chance to be pretty prolific. (As well as a reminder of what could’ve been…)

Notre Dame will get a chance to see other All-American selections against Michigan State, where standout linebacker Greg Jones was named first team, as well as against Pittsburgh, where both defensive lineman Greg Romeus and running back Dion Lewis will be waiting.

It’s a crazy thought to think what if Clausen and Tate would have stuck around? ND Nation can you imagine going from not being ranked at all at the end of last season to pre-season top 5 and from a 6-6 team to a 12-0 undefeated team with a number 1 ranking and a Natin’l Championship? If the defense plays the way we think they are capable of playing this year it will go to show that this class could have fielded possibly the best ND team in ND’s illustrious history, at least on offense anyway along with a couple of other first team All-Americans making the list. I guess we’re just stuck guessing what if?
Go Irish!!!

The only other name that jumped out at me on the list was Kai Forbath, who Charlie recruited heavily and basically gave him a ultimatum to commit with ND or not.
Word on the street was that he was UCLA all along, and we’ll never know what might have been, but if we’re going to talk about Clausen and Tate passing up on potentially the last year of no rookie salary cap in the NFL to try and get integrated into a new offensive system, we might as well explore all angles.
Didn’t see any other toss-up recruits on the list… anyone else?

What might have been? I agree, there is a lot of talent and potential. Blah blah blah. We’ve all heard that for the past three or four years now. When Quinn came back, that was going to be the best season yet. All it turned out to be was overhyped. Same thing last year. Claussen and Tate went pro because they really did not have much potential left to cultivate in college. You might say they had unfinished business, but they wouldn’t have been substantially better players in ND’s program. If the Defense doesn’t contribute, they’re 6-6 again with another easy schedule. I hope that I’m wrong, but I’ve believed in the hype the last few years and have only been disappointed.

It didn’t happen. But even if they had stayed, the best in ND history? Uhhmmm… that’s a pretty big statement, even when you do qualify that with and IF. Possibly, though… except, it didn’t happen, and would not have happened even if CW had stayed. And who gave Clausen the advice to leave? Bad idea!

I think, under Kelly, Crist will be better than Clausen. Don’t forget the addition of condition, motivation and believing in themselves to a team that already had some pretty good talent will result in a very good season.
All Irish fans have to be excited about the 2010 season. I sure am.